Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-13
A ResOlutc Baby.

From the time that he was six weeks old his thumb was hardly ever out of his mouth for an hour. It was only in that way he could drop off to sleep. His instant re- sponse to a caress, even when a mere infant, was to nestle down with his cheek against the beloved face and slip his thumb into his mouth. Many times a day he would seem to fall into reverie in that position. What single diversion or passion in the complex life of an infant could be so indispensable, 80 hard to relinquish, as this, the one pas- time, the one employment of baby's idle hourss
 Scores of friends have said: "You must break it up. The longer you wait the harder the. fight will be-" Only one method was ever suggested to us; ts put something so disgusting or so bitter upon the thumb that it would be unendurable to him, and to per sist in this treatment until the association with the thumb was only one of aversion, not of comfort. This was actually tried on a little kinswoman of his who bites her nails; but the soft-hearted grandsire applying the aloes could not refrain from assuring her it was Etnice" and pretending to taste it. So she accepts it as 8 treat, licks it off and begs for more. Now assaf9tida is called for.
 The week after Max was two years old his mother, to prepare him for what seemed the inevitable treatment, talked with him long and earnestly, showing him the calloused, distorted little thumb, so helpless to resist his cruel treatment telling him that he was pushing his dear little teeth also out of place, and assuring him that it was making her very unhappy. So completely were we un- der the influence of all the more experienced parents of our acquaintance that we had no thought of more than a momentary effect from these words.
 For the next day or two he was unaccount- ably irritable, and at night especially he tossed and fretted for hours instead of lap- sing off at once into peaceful slumbers as be- fore. Once when his mother stepped in to soothe him she was greeted with angry, Mamma, go 'wayl Don want mamma! Want kick mamma!' Presently we realized what struggle was being fought through. From that day he never again in his waking hours put the thumb inside his mouth, nor ever alluded to it except to ask sympathy for the s'poo' little so' fmum!" week or so later, when he spent the day with some inti- ID ate friends, they were astonished to see him many times raise his hand with the ges ture which had become involuntary, bethink himself in season and with effort lower it again. After a few days he was as affection ate and full of delight in life as ever, but for weeks he could fall asleep only after long, wearisome struggle. Several times in this month Ganuary, 1SsO we have found that long after falling asleep, say ten eleven in the evening, his thumb has slipped in. This shows how strong the habit had grown. And yet when aroused in the effort to draw it out he repels with an indignant "No oo!" round mouthed and wide eyed, the charge of ever once returning to the old habit.
 Was not that successful appeal to high CT motive than disgusta Will not the sue | eesa of that first great effort help the growth of the queen of all virtues, Sophrosyne, self i contrela